2023 Toyota RAV4

RAV4 GX highlights:

• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Satellite navigation
• 4.2-inch multi-information display
• DAB digital radio
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• 60/40 split-fold rear seats and centre armrest
• Dual-zone climate control (hybrid only)
• LED headlights (parabolic, auto-levelling in petrol; projector in hybrid)
• Automatic high-beam
• Automatic headlights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Five USB ports
• Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
• Front/rear carpet mats
• Space saver spare tyre
• Rear mudflaps
• Electronic parking brake
• DAB+ radio
• Rear seat belt reminders 
• LED interior lighting 

RAV4 GXL adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels 
• ‘Premium’ grille and bumper combo
• Privacy glass
• Leatherette-wrapped shifter
• Self-dimming rear-view mirror
• Dual-zone climate control
• Keyless entry and start
• Wireless phone charging
• Reversing camera with active guide lines
• Front mudflaps
• Roof rails
• Illuminated interior door switches

RAV4 XSE adds:

• Black exterior accents
• Black two-tone roof finish
• 18-inch alloy wheels in gloss black
• Black headliner and pillar garnish
• Leather-accented door trims
• Ambient lighting (model specific)
• Softex ‘premium’ seat upholstery
• Heated front seats
• 10-way power adjustment with lumbar support (driver)
• 7.0-inch driver supervision display
• Electric tailgate

RAV4 Cruiser adds:

• 19-inch alloy wheels (Cruiser 2WD)
• 18-inch alloy wheels in gloss black (Hybrid)
• Auto power-folding mirrors
• Power sunroof
• Power tailgate
• 10-way power driver’s seat
• Ambient lighting
• Nine-speaker JBL sound system
• Surround-view camera
• Heated front seats
• Leather upholstery
• Digital rear-view mirror
• Heated/ventilated front seats 
• Eight-way power seat adjustment (front passenger)

RAV4 Edge adds:

• Model-specific exterior styling
• Off-road mode selector dial
• Hill-descent control
• Softex ‘premium’ upholstery
• Rear cross-traffic assist 
• Parking support brake

The Toyota RAV4 is available in nine different colours, however not all are available across all variants. The following are available on the Cruiser and GXL:

• Glacier White
• Crystal Pearl
• Silver Sky
• Graphite
• Atomic Rush (red)
• Eclipse Black
• Mineral Blue
• Saturn Blue

The GX misses out on Crystal Pearl. The XSE missed out on Crystal Pearl, Atomic Rush, Eclipse lack and Saturn Blue.

The top-spec Toyota RAV4 Edge misses out on the two white colours and Saturn Blue but it does get its own unique Jungle Khaki colour.

Premium paint is a $675 option.

A full list of colours for the 2022 range has yet to be announced.

Toyota Australia offers up to five years (60 months) or 75,000km of capped-price servicing, with intervals of 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

All RAV4 engine variants cost $230 per service for the first five visits under the capped-price servicing program.

Toyota products based on the TNGA platform have consistently scored well for their ride and handling balance, offering a direct enough connection to keep you involved while being impressively comfortable all round.

The RAV4 is no different. Steering this mid-size SUV is wonderfully predictable and fluid, and it’s just as at home on pimpled inner-city streets as it is out on the freeway.

With the hybrid powertrain, it almost always sets off on e-power, and the petrol engine kicks in once things are rolling. You can silently putt along below 40km/h on flat ground or descents.

You can chirp the tyres easily in front-wheel drive hybrid models but you won’t with the base 2.0-litre. It doesn’t have much oomph until you’re carrying some revs, with some breathless moments as the speedo gradually climbs. It’s fine for urban commuting, however.

The hybrid is more athletic, though hit the throttle a little harder and the 2.5-litre petrol quickly fires, as the CVT flares revs to keep you in the power band. As is the case with Toyota’s hybrid engines, pushing hard can result in a vocal, unrefined soundtrack. That applies to the 2.0-litre, too. 

Another issue across the range is the presence of tyre roar on rougher road surfaces. 

When you’re not wringing its neck, the RAV4 Hybrid gets along in a smooth and relaxed manner, and the shuffling between power sources is generally pretty seamless bar the change in sound.

When things get twisty the RAV4 is happy to play along, too. As noted earlier the TNGA underpinnings and communicative controls mean it’s not a bore to pilot this thing through bends, and if you flick it into Power mode both power sources team up to give you a bit of shove.

Toyota’s suite of assists are impressive. Where previous generations of product had overzealous steering corrections and an infuriating range of beeps and bongs, this latest iteration is intuitive, more natural and more likely to be kept on.

Adaptive cruise control and Lane Tracing Assist work well to take the load off longer freeway stints, while blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and surround cameras aid visibility at various speeds.

It makes the RAV4 a very easy car to live with, and its all-round consistency and competency is no doubt a key driver to its sales success not just in Australia but globally.

You can add satellite navigation to the GX Hybrid for $1000, or both sat-nav and a full-size spare for $1300.

The only other option is a panoramic sunroof, which is limited to the Edge petrol. You can't option this with the Edge Hybrid.

The RAV4 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Stick to your annual service schedule and the company extends the engine and driveline warranty to seven years, while hybrid batteries are covered for up to 10 years provided logbook maintenance is conducted during that period.

Toyota RAV4 buyers have experienced some of the longest waiting times in the industry, with those who have ordered popular variants like the Cruiser hybrid waiting an average of 12 months to get the keys.

This is unlikely to change until the second half of this year.

The Toyota RAV4’s boot space measures 580L with the rear seats up and with a space-saver spare. A full-size spare is optional only in GX models.

The Toyota RAV4 competes in one of the most bustling and popular segments on the Australian new car market. There's a glut of rivals, including but not limited to the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan.

There are also models from challenger brands, including the Haval H6, MG HS and SsangYong Korando.

The RAV4 was not only easily the best-selling mid-sized SUV in Australia in 2021, it was the best-selling SUV, period.

Toyota sold 35,751 RAV4s, with the Mazda CX-5 a distant second at 24,968.

Yes.

If you can stomach a potentially long wait, you'll get one of the most impressive mid-sized SUVs on the market. There's a reason these are so popular.

Hybrid models account for over 70 per cent of RAV4 sales overall.